Water-level alarm for expansion-drums of hot-water heating systems.



No. 829,103. PATEN TED AUG. 21, 1906.

R. M. DIXON.

WATER LEVEL ALARM FOR EXPANSION DRUMS 0F HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS.

nrmomxon 1-11.31: nov. 10. 1903.

2 SHEETS-BHBET 1.

I A M $41M No- 829,103. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906. R. M. DIXON. WATER LEVEL ALARM FOR EXPANSION DRUMS 0F HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS.

IN VE N 70/? z .1 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. DIXON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY UAR HEATING & LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF N ICVV JERSEY.

WATER-LEVEL ALARM FOR EXPANSION-DRUMS 0F HOT-WATERHEATING SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed November 19,1903. Serial No 181,752.

provements in W'ater-Level Alarms for Ex-.

pansion-Drums of Hot-Water Heating Systems, of which the following is a specificatlon.

My invention relates to hot-water heating systems, and has for its particular object to produce a water-level alarm for indicating the water-level in expansion-drums of hot-water hcatin r systems.

To t esc ends my invention consists in the construction hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompan ing drawings I have shown one system of which my invention is embodied and have shown the alarm as operating to indicate the extreme limit of low water although it will be understood that the construction may be varied to indicate other water-levels.

In the drawings, in Figure I, I have shown a side elevation of an expansion tank in which my invention is embodied; in Fig. II, I have shown an end view thereof looking from the left of Fig. I. Fig. III shows an enlarged sectional detail view, the section being taken on line III III of Fig. I. This figure also shows in diagram electric-circuit connec tions suitable for givingan indication and alarm, and Fig. IV is a section on line IV IV of Fig. III.

In the drawings, A represents the expansion tank or drum of a hot-water heating system, a part of which is shown at a a. This expansion-dru m is shown in Fig. III as provided with a float b, shown in the present instance as a metallic cylindrical structure filled with cork or other buoyant material. A rod 0 is hinged at its lower end to the said float and extends upward through the side of the expension-tank and is provided with a crossead d, located in a chamber 6. The rod 0 is provided with insulating materials at c at the places where it passes through the Wall of the chamber 0. The chamber e is formed in-' tegral with a plate f, which is fastened to but insulated from a sput g, screw-threaded into the expansion-drum. A screw h forms one of the terminals of the electrid circuit and is screw-threaded into the ex ansion-drum. Another screw 'i forms the ot or terminal of the electric circuit and is electrically connected with the plate f, which is also provided with pins 3', with which the cross-head d is adapted to contact. The plate f is, as stated, insulated from the sput g and from the ex ansion-drum h. Leading from the screw 'L is one of the legs Z of the electric circuit, which is connected to one of the ter1ninals m of the hell 0, the other terminal 7) being connected by a wire 9 to the switch 1", from which the circuit leads by a wire s to the battery t and back to the screw it. An annunciator a may be sprung across the legs of the circuit by connecting wires '0 and 11). When the switch 1 is closed, the bell is put in circuit in addition to the annunciator, and itis preferable that both the bell and the annunciator' be included in the circuit in order that both a visible and audible signal may be transmitted.

It will be understood that as the waterlevel in the expansion-drum lowers to a redetermined point the cross-head d wil be brought into contact with the pin 7', thereby closing the circuit through the water in the drum and giving an alarm. It will also be observed that by pivoting the rod 0 to the float b at the point e in a longitudinally-extending recess e in the said float the float may be folded against the rod, which will he in the recess and the float and rod may be readily passed through a restricted orifice or opening in the drum. It will further be observed that the form of drum shown is that used in railway-cars and which preferably extend longitudinall of the cars in order that the vibration wi l have the least possible efi'ect on the body of water and that by reason of the pivoting the float will adjust itself to the movements of the car.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accom anyin'g drawings shall be interpreted as i ustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a water-level alarm a paratus, the combination of an expansion-dium adapted to be carried upon a railway-car, a float lo; cated within the drum, an operating-rod pivotally connected to the float, circuit-terminal supported from the expansion-drum and a circuit-terminal supported by the operating rod and means for guiding the operating-rod in its movement.

2. In an alarm, the combination of the drum of a hot-water heating system adapted to be carried upon a railway-car, a freelymoving float carried within the drum, a suitable guided operatin -rod pivoted to the float, an electrical ai arm a paratus comprised in part by a circuit-cliiser under the control of the operating-rod.

3. In an alarm ap aratus, the combination of a tank, a float t erein, a suitable guided operating-rod and an alarm ap aratus, one leg of whose circuit is electrical y connected to the float and the other leg of whose circuit is mechanically connected to but insulated from a s ut or head, a circuit-terminal carried by t e sput or head and insulated therefrom and in electrical connection with the last-mentioned circuit-terminal and a circuitterminal carried by the operating-rod and adapted to coact with the circuit-terminal carried by the sput or head.

4. The combination of a drum or inclosure having a restricted opening therein, a head or s (it mounted in the opening and a recessed oat adapted to pass through such openin for insertion into the di um, an o crating-r05 pivotally connected to the float 1n the recess thereof, the said recess being adapted to receive the said rod when the float is being inserted into the drum or inclosure and circuitierminals under control of the operating-rod.

5. In a water-level alarm a paratus, the combination of an expansionrum adapted to be carried upon a railway-car, a float located within said drum, an o crating-rod having a jointed connection with said float, circuit-terminals supported from the ex ansion-drum, a circuit-terminal su porte by said operating-rod, and means w ereby said operating-rod is guided in its movements.

ROBERT M. DIXON. Witnesses:

ALFRED W. LAW, ELMER E. ALLBEEJ 

